By Paul Norman

Published: Monday, 25 April 2022 at 12:00 am


Electric bikes, or ebikes as they’re commonly known, are a really popular option to provide a bit of extra support on your ride. An electric bike will help keep your speed up on the flat and give you the extra push you need to get up any hills on your way.

As more and more people take to ebikes, prices are coming down and manufacturers are adding new models to their ranges, with updated features such as lighter motors and improved battery ranges.

We’re constantly adding to our collection of electric bike reviews here at BikeRadar, so if you’ve got a type of ebike or a specific ebike model in mind, you’ll probably find a review here.

But if you’re still not certain what you’re looking for in your new ebike, read on for our full run-down of electric bike types, to find the right one for you.

There are ebikes for every type of riding, from electric mountain bikes helping you get to the top of the next downhill trail to folding city ebikes you can take with you on your commute.

We’ll go through the different types of ebike, what they’re good for, and point you to our buyer’s guides and top reviews for each category.

The range of ebike options mirrors the range of non-motorised bikes available, so it’s also worth reading our best bike buyer’s guide.

Electric bike basics

First, let’s start with the basics. An electric bike is a pedal cycle with an electric motor and battery that provide assistance as you pedal.

To qualify as an electric bike, you have to pedal for the motor to kick in. If there’s a bar-mounted “throttle” or twist grip to control the power, the bike will legally be considered a moped. That means it won’t qualify for tax- and registration-free ownership, at least in the UK and EU.

Likewise, support is legally only allowed up to 15mph/25kph in the UK, EU and Australia, above which the motor will cut out and any additional speed will have to be the result of your own effort. But you’re in luck if you’re reading this and riding in the US, where your motor can keep on pushing up to 20mph.

Take a look at our ebike FAQs for the answers to common electric bike questions.

The best electric bikes in 2022 for all riders

Best electric road bikes

""
Hub motors slot subtly beside the cassette to maintain sleek aesthetics.
Russell Burton / Immediate Media

If you enjoy riding on roads, but want a bit of help to keep your speed up or to get you up hills, there are a number of electric road bikes out there from well-known brands.

Many motors and batteries can be unobtrusive, too, so it’s less than obvious that you’re riding an ebike. Fazua, Mahle ebikemotion and Bosch are motor systems to look out for.

You may not be adding a lot of extra weight either because the lightest road ebikes are touching 11kg.

""
The Scott Addict eRIDE Premium is almost indistinguishable from the standard Addict RC.
Russell Burton / Immediate Media

However, with many road riders achieving speeds on the flat of 15mph or above, you may feel that you’re carrying dead weight around with the motor cutting out at that top assisted speed.

It will conserve battery, though, and with careful use you can get significantly more mileage out of an ebike system than the typical 75km quoted range, so more ambitious, longer excursions will be within reach.

Meanwhile, if you’re interested in riding a wider range of terrain, there are an increasing number of gravel ebike options out there. With wider tyres and more grip, they’ll help you tackle the rough stuff.

Pros: Fast for road riding and lightweight (for an electric bike)

Cons: Extra weight for no gain if you’re riding over 15mph

Scott Addict eRide Premium

4.5 out of 5 star rating
""
The Scott Addict eRIDE Premium looks and rides like a racy road bike.
Russell Burton / Immediate Media
  • £8,349 / $9,299 as tested, now £8,999

The Scott Addict eRide Premium has similar geometry to the Scott Addict RC Disc and the same carbon frame. The result is a possible sub-11kg build powered by the consistent ebikemotion rear-hub motor. Neatly concealed in the down tube, the battery managed 100km and 2,000m elevation in testing. The 2022 version has been renamed the Scott Addict eRide Ultimate.